The Masquerade
by PerfectGreiSky
Summary: It's Halloween night and a dare leads a drunken Sora to a mansion that's supposedly haunted by a silver haired prince... Sora/Riku fic. warning: contains lemon. Don't like the juice, don't read. Happy Halloween Everyone! ツ


Author's Rambles

Happy Halloween Everyone! I present to you, my first Halloween themed Fanfic. Just a few warnings I guess. There's mention of alcohol, teenagers drinking, and this is of course a Riku/Sora Yaoi.

Disclaimer: The author does not endorse nor support the consumption of alcohol by minors, however, she is not ignorant enough to believe that it does not happen. Don't care what you do, just be safe when you do it. lol

Oh! there's is enough lemon in this to make lemonade. If you're thirsty read on, if not go somewhere else. There is also bondage in this. You've been warned...

* * *

_All houses wherein men have lived and died  
Are haunted houses. Through the open doors  
The harmless phantoms on their errands glide,  
With feet that make no sound upon the floors._

- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1858)

* * *

**The Masquerade**

The night had long since settled in over their campsite. Well, to be fair it wasn't a campsite at all, they were in Kairi's backyard. It was the perfect setting for a little after party. So the group gathered, dotting the area with tents and the like. Her large, two story house was nestled in the outskirts of town. Sitting on ten acres of land, large weeping willows dotted the area. Their branches swayed gracefully, as if the wind were some kind of music.

At the campsite a nice fire was going. The flames made shadows dance along the faces of the teens gathered. Kairi sauntered out the back of her house, snacks in hand. To each visitor she passed a metal rod, marshmallows, chocolate, and gram crackers. "Snacks my lovelies?" she smiled jokingly. In the warm light of the fire her fairy costume sparkled. She was a beautiful mixture of iridescence and pastels.

"Thanks for the food." Tidus commented. His attire for the night consisted of regular clothes glitter and lotion. As odd as it sounded, when asked about his costume he would reply: 'I figured if I did something _Twilight_ girls would throw themselves at me.' Sadly, from their earlier trip around town he had been right. That series was so popular it was downright scary. Next the fans would form their own religion and holidays. Yep, sometimes it could get that weird.

Wakka chose a simple zombie costume, complete with the contacts and bloody clothes. "Pass me another drink, ya?" With Kairi's parents out of town for the week, it left a perfect opportunity for teenage mischief. They were traders or something similar.

Sora reached over and grabbed another Bacardi Silver from the cooler. "Here you go man." He grinned. The brunette had chosen to make a costume this year; a Gothic Ringmaster in fact. It had the makings of a suit with minor alterations. His black slacks were decorated with little white skulls and chains that jingled with his every movement. His plain white collared shirt was barely visible beneath his black, tattered trench coat. He had a matching top hat and cane to complete the outfit.

"Alright, it's getting late," Selphie pointed out, "someone start with the spooky stories." She stuck a marshmallow into the fire, twirling it so the flames hit all sides. She grinned mischievously at her companions, living true to her cat costume.

"Scary stories are fine, if you can handle it." Tidus wiggled his eyebrows. "On a night like this with a setting so eerie, you girls might get scared."

Wakka chimed in with a round of rich laughter. "Don't ask for more than you can chew, ya?" He gave Tidus a look. The blond returned it with a grin. "I've got some stories that will make the hair on you girl's head curl!"

Sora watched quietly, simply content to be in the company of good friends. Earlier today they piled into one car, and hit up every place offering a Teen Night, they could find. Hell, he even won a costume contest, go figure. To be honest, he was tired as hell. All they did was dance and party up until this point. After a minute he reached and grabbed a wine cooler for himself, twisting the cap off so he could reach the contents inside.

Admittedly, he wasn't much of a drinker, but since every one else was doing it. He took another swig. It wasn't that bad though. Besides, the more he sat with his friends the fuzzier he felt. It's rare when they all got the chance to roam free like this. Or maybe that was just the booze. Alcohol made you feel fuzzy didn't it? Fuck it, who cares.

"If you get scared Selphie, I'll be glad to hold you close."

"Get real," the petite brunette shoved at him playfully, "as if I'd need protection from you." She smiled at him afterwards, batting her long lashes. They were so obviously into each other, Sora mused as he observed.

Kairi cleared her throat. "Alright settle down everyone." She waited until all eyes focused in her direction. "She's right though, it wouldn't be Halloween without a few stories." She smiled mysteriously. "Thanks to my parents travels I've collected quite a few."

"Well, get on with it!" Wakka said after a moment. Even in the soft glow of the fire one could see the flush on his face. For a moment Sora couldn't help but wonder how many drinks the older boy had. Would he eventually look like that too? How funny.

The redhead ignored his outburst. "Alright then," she said with a soft shrug of her shoulders, "every old house has their stories. Even mines, but we won't talk about that." She sure knew how to work a crowd, even Sora found himself hanging onto to her words when she paused. " There's a old house not far from here actually. It's been abandoned for years. No one will buy it, and if they do, they don't stay long."

"Yeah right."

"Hush!" Selphie nudged Tidus.

"The story goes like this. In the early 1900's there was an exiled prince that fled here from a old country. War had broken out between the people. There were some that claimed he was a soul sucking monster. Fearing for his life, the young man took a small entourage and fled to our sleepy town. However, he could not let go of the luxury he left behind. The prince had a magnificent mansion built on the outskirts of town where he would hold parties almost every night…"

Sora listened intently, pausing only when it was time for another drink. The alcohol hit the back of his throat with a soft comforting sizzle that traveled all the way down to his stomach. The redhead worked her magic over the attentive group, speaking with her hands. Somewhere between her movement and the peaceful sound of the crackling fire, her words became distant. Every now and then his head would bob. He'd try to shake it off, resulting in the world spinning in a mixture of colors. Colors made him smile. Was this what a buzz was? It was kinda fun. Very fun, his eyes traveled over to Kairi, he let his gaze rake over her bare legs up until they disappeared beneath her fairy dress. Bet she was soft like pudding. Wait, what the hell was he thinking?

Sure Kairi was one of the prettiest girls he knew, but was he that attracted enough to her to compare her legs to pudding? He looked her over again. Okay, yes. Yes he was. The benefits of being bisexual meant that you could enjoy looking at both sides of the field. Hell, even Tidus was starting to look good, but only because he had held his mouth shut for longer than two minuets. The brunette took another generous sip. Good thing the blonde was good looking, because he was a idiot otherwise. If there wasn't a physical activity involved, the blitzball player would be useless. Wakka really was no different. One cute girl, one average one (not even Bacardi could make Selphie anything other than average. She lost points for drooling over a idiot), and two jocks. This party needed more eye candy.

"Alright, everyone up!"

His shook his head violently, stilling his thoughts. Where the hell did his brain just go? "What are we doing?"

Tidus helped drag him unsteadily to his feet. For a second he almost felt bad for talking about him. Then the world started to distort. "We're playing a game." He answered.

Kairi had left and returned with a bunch of her dad's golf clubs in hand. "Okay everyone grab a club!"

"Wha-?" he mumbled.

Selphie reached for two clubs and handed one to Sora. "Tidus dared someone to spend the night in the old house from the story. We're going to do a spinning game to see who gets to go. You spin eight times and then we see who can stand the longest."

The brunette nodded, of course. It made perfect sense to want to spin after drinking. What about picking freaking straws, or paper, rock, scissors?! He watched as everyone steadied their clubs and bent over them. After a moment of hesitation he did the same. Oh god, he'd seen this dozens of times on TV but never in a million years had he expected to participate in one.

"Ready! Set! Spin!"

Sora began his uneven laps, bracing his head against the cold iron with his hands. He spun until the world was a blur, all the while he counted. When he was done, he stood straight, hobbling like the rest of his friends. The group started dropping like flies. Selphie went down first with a soft yelp. The group roared with laughter. Wakka was next to give in to the gravity. With only three people left standing, the spectators cheered on the rest. Kari held on for a while, giggling until she too tumbled to the ground. It was just the two of them.

"Go down Sora, you're too much of a coward to sleep in a haunted place and you know it." Of course, the brunette knew this already, who in their right mind would want to sleep in a place with ghosts? Sadly, Tidus had insulted his pride and that alone fueled his determination to win.

"No you go down. You know you couldn't do it unless Wakka was there to hold your hand all night anyway." More laughter bubbled up from the group, fueling his confidence. He felt himself grinning. That's right; score one for Sora!

Tidus stumbled his way over. It was obvious his goal was to knock his competitor over. Seeing the stunt ahead of time allowed Sora to slowly spin out the way, adding to his drunken haze. The blonde griped at air before falling to the ground. Their small group roared with cheers that sounded loud enough to fill a small stadium. Sora managed a small victory pose before he too met with the soft grass.

When he didn't move, the others gathered around. "He only had a few bottles." Kairi mused quietly.

"He must have a low tolerance for the stuff." Selphe chimed in. "It's kinda cute.

"Either way, passing out doesn't stop the fact that he won." Tidus rolled the brunette over with a smile. "Wakka help me get him to the car. He's got accommodations to keep." The older boy grabbed the legs, while the blonde held the torso. Together they shuffled out the backyard and into the front where a car awaited.

"I don't know, this seems kind of mean." Kari said.

"We'll go get him in the morning. It will be alright, ya? It's just a prank." This came from Wakka. They were right, it was just a prank and it was Halloween, but still it seemed mean to tease Sora. She didn't stop them though, instead she watched as they loaded the unconscious boy into the back of a vehicle and drove away...

* * *

Sora awoke to the soft sounds of music. His eyes fluttered open slowly, meeting with dim candle light. Where was he? Movement proved difficult. He hadn't been asleep long enough to rid himself of the daze. Besides him were his top hat and cane. That's right, it all made sense. He was at a party and won a bet. Using the cane as leverage, he slowly got to his feet and looked around.

The mansion was unlike anything he had expected. Marble floor stretched on all sides. There were columns that stretched floor to ceiling. The immense windows where covered with thick black out curtains, preventing anyone from seeing in. The foyer was a wide space, decorated with plush rugs and seating arrangements. In the corner there was even a grand piano.

Behind him a large, carpeted stair case led to the second floor and beyond. To say this place was abandoned, it was in wonderful condition. Above him loomed a giant crystal chandelier, not that it was needed. There were so many candles, hundreds of candles. "What is this?" he mumbled to himself.

Somewhere in the distance incense burned. It was a foreign smell mixed with something else that made his mind foggy. As if he hadn't had enough of mind altering substances for the day. What the hell had he gotten into? Upstairs there was the sound of light conversation and laughter. "Okay guys, this isn't funny." Sora called out. His voice bounced off the walls ominously and when it stopped, so did the voices. Weird. "Hello? I know you're in here guys! This isn't funny!"

Slightly annoyed the brunette begins his ascent up the stairs. It's just like Wakka and Tidus to play jokes on him. But seriously, did they honestly think he'd fall for something so obvious? They might as well come out already. He got halfway up the stairs before the voice hit him.

"Welcome stranger," said the sultry baritone, "are you lost?" Sora froze, staring up into the face of a stranger. He had unusual silver hair that fell around his broad shoulders. Part of his face was covered in a black mask that brought out the sea green of his piercing eyes. Despite the cover, it was obvious that his lips were curved upwards with the slightest of smiles. Something about that condescending look pissed him off. The new person didn't look much older than he was. He wore a white suit to contrast with his mask.

"Who are you?" he managed after he had finished gawking.

"I'd ask you the same." Whoever this person was, his accent was certainly interesting. Okay, it was downright sexy, but that wasn't the point at the moment.

"I'm-"

"Sora." The boy finished.

He shivered. Yeah, that wasn't weird at all. "Yeah, how did you know?"

The stranger gave another easy smile. "Your friends mentioned it when they dumped you oh so gracefully on my floor."

The brunette blushed. "Oh, yeah, sorry about that." He shuffled uncomfortably for a second. Did these idiots dump him off in someone's home? How did they get in without breaking in? Who lets their doors just sit unlocked and what was that enticing smell? Sora inhaled few times, attempting to place it. A spice maybe? After a moment he gave up. It was starting to make him dizzy.

"Don't worry about it, I'm Riku." He answered. "Welcome to the party." He waved his hand in a gentle sweeping motion. Sora followed, turning to see the area where he just lay moments before was filled with people. They all wore similar black capes and white masks, hiding most of their faces from view. The color scheme was interesting if nothing else. But seriously, they so were not there a second ago. He turned back to the silver haired boy, who shrugged in return.

..._The prince had a magnificent mansion built on the outskirts of town where he would hold parties almost every night…_

Funny how Kairi's words would choose now of all times to come back to him. It sent a shiver down his spine. This strangely charismatic person did seem to have a certain aura about him. Was he a prince? Better yet, a ghost? "I think I should go. This is just a misunderstand." At the bottom of the steps, the horde of people swayed and danced to light music. The soft hum of conversations and laughter filled the air. Maybe they had been there the whole time. It's quite possible. After all, he had been drinking and his head was still fuzzy.

Riku shrugged again. "I'm sure it is, but since you're here, you might as well dance. You'll be my partner right?" He held out a elegant hand, eyes twinkling mischievously beneath his mask.

_...His most famous parties were masquerades..._

That was from the second part of Kairi's story if he wasn't mistaken. His heart started to race. Funny coincidence that all of the things in her story were standing right in front of him. "Dance?" Sora blinked. "Oh I'm not much of a dancer." He put on his best smile and started backing his way down the stars. "Besides, this is just a stupid dream." he nodded. "I drank to much, listened to one of Kairi's stories and here I am."

"A dream?" the other boy sounded amused. "If its that, then enjoy it. Come on, just for a minute." The brunette fumbled around for words until the young stranger took him by the hand, leading him down the stairs and into the mixture of twirling bodies. The dance was archaic. A pair of dancers faced each other, clasping their right palms together, and then spun in a clockwise and counter clockwise motion. Finally the pair would bow to each other, turn and face their next partner. This was repeated over and over again. "Ready?" he asked.

"I think so?" Sora muttered.

With one hand behind his back, another clasped lightly in Sora's own, they begin their dance. Twirling until the room spun with mild colors and his laughter mixed with the rest of the party goers. They stopped, bowed, and parted. Riku flashed him a smile before turned to his next partner. Sora did the same, almost regretting their parting.

The older boy was right. There's no point in fighting a dream. He could do whatever he wanted! Might as well enjoy it before he woke up. He progressed his way around the room, spinning, twirling and leaving on to the next, his face bright with happiness. When was the last time he had, had this much fun? He continued on until he bumped back into the tall silver haired stranger. "Okay, you were right, that was fun." He smiled sheepishly.

Riku's face always held a constant look of amusement. "Did you now?"

"Yes!" he nodded, pausing to hold his head as the room spun. "God, I didn't drink that much? It shouldn't still be in my system right?" It was possible, but then there was also that mind numbing smell? Who knows? Where was a booze expect when you needed one?

"Perhaps, you'd like to retire to my room for a bit? You can rest there." All he could do was nod. Riku carefully led him upstairs where the smell of inscense was stronger. They traveled down hallways, and passed countless doors until they reached their destination. "Here we are." He said, pushing the door open. The air that met them was cool and spicy.

All the strength left Sora's legs and he fell to his knees with a soft giggle. "So this is where that smell was coming from? Your room? I've been trying to figure it out since I got here."

_...The prince used the parties to find participants for his games. He'd find someone willing and tie them up all night long..._

Riku helped him to his feet. "Does it bother you?" he asked as they ventured in further.

"No," Sora shook his head, "I kinda like it." The room was lit by candles just like the rest of the house. They were everywhere twinkling like little starts in the spacious room. There were a sitting area in the corner with plush antique chairs and a dresser along the opposite wall. The back of the room had a large wooden bed, piled with a ridiculous amount of pillows and drapes. Sora sunk into it letting out a breathe of relief. "How romantic! You drug me all the way up here so you could have your way with me?" He mumbled with a soft smile. "That's how the story goes and my dream has to follow the story, right?"

"If that's what you wish." the other boy's voice dropped to a deliciously dark timber.

"Your going to wear your mask even in your room?"

"You want to see my face?"

"Well yeah, you've seen mines all damned night!"

"This is true, but I don't take my mask off for just anyone I'm afraid."

"How about a friend then?"

"A friend?" he looked thoughtful for a moment. "I guess I can see you as a friend."

"Good, then take the mask off!"

Riku leaned in, hovering over the loopy teen until Sora's vision was blocked by a curtain of silver tresses and that damnable mask. "You'll have to work for it 'friend.'" Leaning over Riku kissed his dazed guest on the lips. It was the barest of touches, testing the water to see if there could be more.

Sora smiled up at him, with a level of trust that made him hesitate. Never before had anyone looked up at him this way. Was it from all of the smoke? Probably. Riku frowned, backing off to sit besides him in bed.

There was a moment of silence between them, interrupted only when Sora groaned. "Is that it?" he pouted, sitting up to face his companion. "I'm terrible at this dreaming thing, aren't I? That's okay, at least my imagination still works." Summoning up as much courage Alcohol and mind numbing smoke could muster, He straddled the silver haired teen. Before Riku could protest he sealed the boy's lips with a kiss. They were soft and velveteen, prompting the brunette to nibble on them until they opened.

Sora wrapped his arms around his temporary lover's neck, loving the way their bodies reacted to one another. He explored Riku's mouth like it was a endless cavern, filled with pleasure filled secrets. The other boy's body was slowly coming alive beneath him. The sensation was exciting. Normally he wasn't this open to strangers, but a dream left his lust open to all sorts of fun. He threaded his fingers through soft silken tresses, stopping only when he had untied the mask and removed it from Riku's face.

"There," he sighed between breaths, "I think I worked hard enough." Riku blinked a few times, staring at the mask in Sora's hands before patting his face. Distracting little imp. It was like solving the final piece to a puzzle. Without the mask to obstruct the view, Riku's face came together nicely. He had beautiful, long lashes that hung low over his distracting sea green eyes. His hair fell normally without the mask in the way, framing his face with a type of perfection that was almost eerie.

"Very good." There was that seductive tone again. "I'll reward you if you'll let me?"

"Sure." Sora smiled.

Riku got up, walking over to the dresser they passed earlier. He grabbed a hand full of things and walked by, a playful smile on his face. "It will be fun, I promise."He laid out satin ribbon, a few feathers, and a blindfold. "Scoot back against the headboard please."

Without a question of doubt, Sora complied moving back until he was in position. Riku carefully blind folded him, muttering words of encouragement the entire time. Not that they were needed. Bad things don't happen in dreams, if they did they would be called nightmares. With the world shrouded in darkness, he felt his clothes being stripped clean and liked it. The trench coat came off first and then the shirt. Next his hands were bound by satin ribbons above his head. "Kinky." he grinned.

"I like to carefully prepare my deserts before I eat them." Riku answered.

"So I'm a desert now?"

"Oh yes, the best kind." Riku reached for the feather first, trailing it along Sora's exposed skin. The brunette erupted into a fit of giggles. How cute. He continued, liking how the smaller boy struggled against his restraints. When he had his fill the feather was replaced with his mouth. The assumed prince trailed kisses and traced patterns with his tongue all along the boy's neck and shoulders until the giggles faded to pants. That was his true objective. The warm areas where his mouth had been were soon assaulted by the feather once again.

"Anh!" Sora twitched. "What are you doing? This is just weird."

Riku chuckled. "Didn't you say this was a dream?"

"Yes bu-"

"Then perhaps you just like weird things." He continued his assault, working his captive up with a combination of kisses, tongue and feathers. Not being able to see only heightened the sensations. Every touch was a new and wonderful surprised. Riku remained silent throughout most of the adventure, making it difficult to tell where he would strike next.

_...The prince used the parties to find participants for his games. He'd find someone willing and tie them up all night long..._

That thought again. If this was a game, he kind of liked it. After all, it could be worse. Most horror stories ended with mutilation, not playful sex. Or maybe the playful part was just his hazy interpretation. Either way, this was the preferred path for the dream to take. Sora's thought process stopped when he felt nails rake down his sides. His back gave a little arch and he trashed helplessly. All of these pleasant surprises where surely going to drive him insane.

There was a gentle tugging at his waist. Skillful fingers worked to unfasten his pants and tug them free from his hips. His boxers were giving the same treatment. He was nude. He could feel his cheeks growing warm. Was Riku staring at him? What would happen next? Anticipation gripped him for only a moment. His questions were quickly answered by Riku's strong hands.

His waist was being teased, the inside of his thigh was clawed. All of these areas were so dangerously close to his growing erection it made him whimper in frustration. There was a certain amount of unanswered pressure that was building up within, begging to be released. Writing, he hopped that his captor would get the message. If Riku understood he made no sound in response. Instead his teasing continued.

Sora's lips were claimed in a firey kiss that arched his back and made him twitch with need. This bondage thing; it seemed to awaken and bring out a certain amount of lewdness he never knew existed within him. Their tongues mingled in a battle for dominance that he was destined to loose. One of Riku's strong hands found the back of his head and tugged lightly on the hair there. He would pull and then release; pull and release until the whole scalp tingled. The brunette broke their connection to moan, his chest rising and falling as he fought to catch his breathe. This was insane. Who dreamed about stuff like this?!

That damned feather was back again, trailing its way along his body. It teased at his arms, legs and chest like a gentle breeze until it settled on one spot in particular. When it brushed over the tip of his manhood Sora bit back a moan. Oh no, anything but that. He was already sensitive. Anything but that! He whimpered softly. "Shh..." Riku's voice was almost comforting. "If you want I can do so much more?"

"Anh," the brunette lulled his head from side to side, "I'll loose my mind. I can't take much more." Or maybe he could? The thought of having Riku inside him made his member twitch with excitement. His body knew what he wanted at least. But he had never been with a man before. It was obvious that the more experienced Riku would be on top and he would be on bottom. Was he ready for this? Even in a dream?

"Then loose it all. You'll feel better for it in the end."Sora felt the restraints loosen. He was tugged forward until he was able to lay flat on his back. "Turn over." came the command. Blushing, the younger teen complied, rolling onto his stomach and positioning himself on all fours. "Very good." the compliment made him blush.

The blindfold left left him waiting and anticipating. When he felt Riku's length against his skin he tensed. After a few calming breaths he relaxed and the silver haired took that opportunity to entire him. Sora arched, surprise lodging a scream in his throat. The sudden intrusion sent a wave of pain along his body as he was stretched to allow Riku inside.

There was no moment to adjust, the older boy continued to move in and out in slow, but careful motions. It was awkward. It hurt. Whimpering Sora gripped at the bed's sheets, breathing in the intoxicating smell of incense in hopes it would relax him. Somewhere between the even stabs of pain, there was a part of him that was being stirred. This spot blossomed slowly, chasing the pain away until it was but a distant memory. He moaned and his entire body begin to relax and melt into a rhythm set by Riku.

They continued on in that steady motion. He could feel it, a climax building somewhere from deep within. The sensation bubbled until he shivered with anticipation and beads of sweat formed on his skin. That's when the first hit landed. It was a quick fierce strike to his left thigh. "Oh God!" The ebbing sting tensed his body with pleasure instead of pain. Before the shock of the first blow could subside, another landed, this time to the soft skin of his ass. Sora screamed his pleasure again. "Stop!"

Riku didn't stop nor did he slow down. The tightening of Sora's insides around him only encouraged more speed and a flurry of blows. The brunette's arms gave out and he fell to his elbows, burying his face in the sheets. The new angle presently a new set of pleasurable sensation to accompany his licks. "Please, I can't take it," he begged shamelessly, "I can't take much more, Riku!"

It was the honest truth. Behind the touch of this mysterious lover, his boy had become a tightly coiled container of pleasure waiting to be released. His muscles were so tense he felt every inch of the older boy's movements within. It was driving him crazy. Surely he'd melt into nothing from this. That's all that would be left. Nothing.  
The persisting member continued its onslaught, throbbing angrily. Sora could feel Riku reaching his end too. Together they formed one solid form of body movement and sound. Sora's moans were only interrupted by the sharp sound of Riku's brutal lips.

The pleasure built, swelling into something almost tangible in the air until the bubble finally burst. The young prince's member gave a final shudder and its owner shouted his heartfelt release. Sora gave one final arch, the sensation of the others essence flooding his person was enough to send him over the edge of a orgasm. The duo collapsed onto the bed, panting until exhaustion and sleep finally claimed them.

* * *

The next morning was a terrible blur. There was so much sunlight. Too much for comfort. Groaning the brunette shielded his eyes from the offending bends. How could something so warm be so evil? So this was what a hangover was? He'd have to definitely cut back on his drinking. This was ridiculous. Why were there some people that put themselves through this everyday? "Sora, wake up."

He mustered up a smile and turned over. Just a little bit longer. He'd sleep a little bit longer and then he'd go home. After a wild night like that, he didn't want to go anywhere. But then he thought about it. Go anywhere? He was dreaming to begin with so it would only make sense for the dream to come to a end. There was a part of him that was sad by this fact. He wanted to remain asleep where he could learn more things about Riku and his parties that were described in Kairi's stories. "You lazy bum get up!"

He sat up suddenly, regretting it when his surroundings spun and the contents of his stomach threatened to come up. Damn, with his eyes open the light hurt worse. Squinting, he looked up into Kairi's concerned face. "Kairi?"

She nodded. "Yeah, we came to get you. You really stayed here all night long Sora." She said looking around.

With a little effort he followed her gaze. He was in the main foyer of the mansion, on the floor besides him was his cane and hat. His Ringmaster costume was wrinkled from a night of fitful sleep. "I was dreaming?" he mumbled to himself. The beautiful mansion from last night was gone. The curtains were tattered and full of holes. The windows had pieces mission. The beautiful marble floor was cracking. There was reminiscence of broken furniture and graffiti on the walls. Doors hung off their hinges and the air was thick and sale.

"You okay?" She asked, offering him a hand.

Sora took it gratefully. "I guess it was a dream. There was this party, and this awesome guy here." When she looked puzzled he frowned. "What's the matter?"

"Yeah, it's from the story I told you remember? The one about the prince that was murdered at his own masquerade party?"

"Murdered." he whispered the word in disbelief.

"Yep, there were some towns folk that accused him of being a incubus or something. So they sneaked in under the guise of party goers and killed him. Didn't you listen to my story at all?" she huffed a hand on her hips.

He smiled sheepishly. "Most of it I promise. To be fair I might have been drunk." he added, rubbing his temple. The redhead smiled at him, lacing her arm through his. Together they walked to the door until something fell from the pocket of Sora's trench coat. It hit the ground with a soft clatter, distracting them both. "What was it?"

Kairi bent to inspect, "it came from your pocket," she said jokingly, "shouldn't you know?" Picking it up, she gave it a good once over before showing it to him. "How pretty. Where did you get it?"

Hangover gone, Sora focused on the item glittering in the soft morning light. It was a black masquerade mask. A soft chill ran through his body. After a moment he took it, placing it back in his pocket.

"A dream." he said after a moment. "It came from a dream."

* * *

Author's Rambles

I had a lot of fun writing this. I hope you had just as much fun reading it. So! Tell me what you think! Be nice and leave a little review pretty please. ツ


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